WT/GC/W/811  
TN/AG/47  
 
4 December  2020 
(20-8723) Page: 1/45 
General Council  
Committee on Agriculture  
Special Session  Original: English  
 
PROPOSAL ON AGRICULTURE EXPORT PROHIBITIONS OR RESTRICTIONS  
RELATING TO THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME  
COMMUNICATION FROM SINGAPORE  
The following communication , dated 3 December 2020 , is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of  Singapore  to provide the background and explain WT/GC/W/ 810; TN/AG/ 46. 
 
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Hunger on the rise  
 
1. The World Food Programme (WFP) is the leading humanitarian organization delivering food 
assistance in emergencies to save lives and working with communities to improve nutrition, build 
resilience and change lives for the better. Each year, WFP assists almost 100 million people in more 
than 80 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America and t he Middle -East.  
2. As stated by WFP, w ith the adoption of the Global Agenda, the international community has 
committed to end hunger, achieve food security and improve nutrition by 2030. Unfortunately, SDG2 
is not on track and one in nine people worldwide st ill do not have enough to eat.   
3. WFP estimates that the number of acute food insecure people in its countries of operation 
could also increase to 270 million before the end of the year, representing an 82 percent increase 
from pre -COVID -19 food insecurity. The crisis unfolds at a time when the number of severely food 
insecure people in the world had already risen nearly 70 percent over the past four years, 
compounding the effects of climate change, conflict and socio -economic shocks in regions of the 
world t hat had previously escaped severe levels of food insecurity.  
4. Notably, in WFP Executive Director 's Opening Remarks at the 2020 Second Regular Session 
of the WFP Executive Board  (see remarks at Annex A), he states: "I think the Nobel Peace Prize 
(awarded to the WFP in 2020) recognizes that 2021 is going to be tough and the WFP has its most 
difficult work ahead of it and so I think they were sending a message to the world, to wake up, and 
please understand that we are fa cing a hunger pandemic as well as a health pandemic.  We have 
had over a million people die from COVID -19 so far. About seven to eight million people have already 
died this year from hunger. That number could double, triple or quadruple if we do not get the  funds 
that we need. " 
Impact of export restrictions on WFP 's work  
 
5. However, export restrictions put in place by some countries affect the WFP 's life-saving work , 
by ultimately eroding the value of its humanitarian assistance . Some examples highlighted by the 
WFP are below:  
• Delays and, in some cases, cancellation of procurement contracts to support vulnerable 
people;  
• Increased risk of food waste and losses due to longer transportation times and changes to 
the supply chain;  
• Delays in the del ivery of life saving food to beneficiaries; and  WT/GC/W/811 • TN/AG/47  
 
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  • Higher procurement , transportation and distribution costs. As WFP is a voluntary -funded 
organization, more money spent on administration means less food for the beneficiaries.  
 
More details are in WFP's Input s to the WTO , September 2020  at Annex B. 
 
6. WFP's Executive Director thus drew  attention to the Proposal on Agriculture Export Prohibitions 
or Restrictions  Relating to the WFP (WT/GC/W/ 810; TN/AG/ 46) in his Opening Remark s at the 2020 
Second Regular Session of the WFP Executive Board . He states: "If this is passed, this will help us 
save both time and money in reaching the most destitute people. So, please, urge your governments 
to support this important exemption.  As you ca n imagine, when we are moving foods, commodities 
and other supplies in so many countries around the world, when a country ends up with a logistics 
breakdown, or a port shutdown, or an export ban, the ripple effect can really be devastating. We 
have been wo rking with governments as these issues come up but this will help us move things 
forward, because, again, we are talking about people 's lives which are at stake. If you go a few 
weeks without food, you are going to die. " 
WFP's Procurement Policies, includi ng a "do no harm " principle  
 
7. In ongoing discussions with Members and the WFP , the WFP also explained that it strives to 
procure food as close as possible to the place where it is needed. The WFP has a Procurement Policy 
(WFP/EB.2/2019/4 -C, at Annex C ), adopted by WFP 's Executive Board,  that sets forth a "do no 
harm " principle while carrying out food purchases, ensuring that potential negative impacts of local 
or other procurement on markets and value chains are carefully considered. Partnerships with 
national and local governments are also a key component of this policy.  
8. As such, WFP has stated that it carries out a continuous  market  monitoring exercise and 
carefully considers the multidimensional nature of the potential impacts of procurement : to this e nd, 
WFP will not purchase a specific food commodity from countries presenting a shortage of it.  
9. Resulting from these principles, and in line with its mandate, WFP will not initiate any food 
procurement that could lead to an increase in local prices and th erefore potentially endanger the 
supplying country 's food security.  
10. At the same time, WFP will support countries experiencing a severe food insecurity, 
collaborating with their Governments on a set of measures - including the import of food 
commodities - to address people's vulnerabilities and curb food and nutrition insecurity. More details 
are in WFP's briefing to the WTO of 10 November 2020 (see slides at Annex D).  
Conclusion  
 
11. The challenges faced by WFP due to export restrictions on its foodstuffs pur chased for non -
commercial humanitarian purposes ha ve been discussed by WTO Members from as early as 2011. 
In this context, we recall and reaffirm Article 12 of the Agreement on Agriculture and Article XI of 
GATT 1994. We further note ongoing discussions on  issues such as the impact of COVID -19, effective 
and transparent humanitarian assistance , WTO provisions  applicable to agriculture , etc.  
12. We believe the Proposal on Agriculture Export Prohibitions or Restrictions Relating to the WFP  
will help support the 690 million hungry people in the world today to achieve SDG2 on zero hunger 
by boosting WFP 's capacity to deliver humanitarian assistance and allow more lives  to be saved , 
while in no circumstances jeopardize the food security of the  country where food commodities  are 
sourced. We understand that the proposal is not the panacea for eradicating hunger , but it is an 
important step forward.  
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  ANNEX A  
 
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  ANNEX B  
 
  
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  ANNEX C  
 
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